by Rick Surlow, Publisher

GOLFGUIDE.ORG now includes a directory of golf courses throughout California, (meaning 1,000+ courses), and 100+ courses in southern Oregon and western Nevada. All from our site. In addition to the expanded website, a Southern California edition of Golf Guide is now in circulation thanks to the efforts of experienced publishers and golf enthusiasts Wade and Pam McCurry.

There are a few other matters we’re excited about as we go to press with this print version at the start of a new decade. GOLFGUIDESTORE.COM now offers golf certificates from more than 70 courses in California, Oregon and Nevada. That means savvy readers can save from 20 percent to 70 percent on green fees, which in turn translates into: you can afford to play more golf.

And then there are GOLFGUIDE PLAY DAYS…Last year, we sponsored some play days at a couple of the more spectacular courses in the state that also happen to be highlighted in both our print edition and web directory. Look for more such events in 2010, which should include a return to TPC San Francisco Bay at Stonebrae, Pasatiempo Golf Club, Winchester Country Club and more. Check with our website, GOLFGUIDE.ORG for dates, details and sign-ups.

Finally, our cover course this issue, Mare Island Golf Club, is a hidden treasure, located, exactly as its name suggests, on an actual island! You need not be a pirate to enjoy this gem, but you owe it to yourself and to the course’s rich legacy in Bay Area golf history to get out there and breathe deeply of the ocean breezes and all that is best of this treasured pastime we share.